For this hike I’m deciding to leave the United States – I know I said I wasn’t planning on it, but I loved this hike so oh well- and headed to Switzerland! I did this hike this past summer and let me say, this hike rocks (get it, because it’s kinda rock climbing). This hike is Via Ferrata from Mürren to Gimmelwald.
This wasn’t a hike my family was initially planning on doing – we were going to do the hike to the North Face logo mountain but there was too much snow – but I am so glad we did. There are several Via Ferratas in Europe, and some in the United States too, but this one is unique because it goes down.
Via Ferrata is an Italian term meaning “iron path” because it is a hike consisting of iron rungs on the side of a cliff. For this hike, we did have a guide as it was recommended for someone not experienced in these types of hikes, and I’m glad we did. We did have a harness and were tethered in the entire time, but we were told at the beginning of the hike how a girl who went without a guide had died on it the past fall so I’m very glad we had one. We had helmets that were provided due to some parts of the hike with low overhangs, and the harnesses were provided as well. We were required to bring sturdy shoes – meaning hiking boots – and the guide would not let us on the hike if we did not have them. Fingerless cable gloves were recommended since you had to hang onto a metal cable the entire time, but we didn’t have them and it was ok, our hands were just dirty and a little raw at the end.
This hike started in Mürren, which you had to take a cable car and train to, and then you hiked to Gimmelwald which was slightly down the mountain, before you took a cable car back to Lauterbrunnen. The entire time you were stepping down onto metal rungs, and you were constantly stepping with the same foot, so if you have knee problems this hike might not be for you. I know that about half way through the hike my left knee was aching, but you cant really switch sides or you’ll fall off. If you are scared of heights, this is definitely not for you, as you are on an exposed cliff face for most of the time. The worst part of the hike for me was when I was climbing down a ladder, so I had to look down at the canyon floor 5000 meters below me, and I will say I almost threw up and I am not scared of heights. It also was raining when hiked, which added a new level of difficulty as the rungs and cable were wet and difficult to hold on to. The hike was only a mile and a half, but I was exhausted by the end of it.
The hike ends with a zip line and suspension bridge, which were both very cool. I added some pictures of my own along with some that others took of the dangerous sections of the hike where I was not willing to risk taking out my phone.
This hike is one of the most unique that I have been on, and to summit all up, it was awesome! Happy hiking!
This definitely sounds like a unique and advanced hike. The helmets and all of the extra equipment would stress me out, but it is awesome that you love it. This was a very sweet read as I can tell you really enjoyed yourself and love trying new things.
Wow yeah, I mentioned last week I was scared of heights, but you could not pay me 1 million dollars to do this. You should be very proud you were able to accomplish this, because I guarantee many people wouldn’t. It seems like a great opportunity, and looks very beautiful, but that ladder alone is enough to make my decision for me.
I thought the last hike would be a stressful one to go on, but this one seems to be a much scarier hike than that one. It’s good saying you were scared on it even though you aren’t scared of heights, since some people who are scared of them just push through (me included) it since in most cases you can. This is obviously not the case for this hike, however.
This photos from this hike are gorgeous! Personally, with my own fear of heights, I would never be able to complete a hike like this, however I will live vicariously through you. This looked like such a fun and unique experience!
I’ve actually seen this hike before on social media and always wondered about some of the details so I am glad you were able to provide! I personally love the view from heights and would love to have an opportunity to do this hike because it looks truly stunning. I like your mention of not wanting to risk taking out your phone because I would be so tempted but probably not do it for the exact same reason. Well done(the hike and the blog)!